The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-11
PALATKA AS SHE Is.
A FRIENDLY WORD OR TWO FROM A
JOURNALIST VISITOR.
Her Fruitful Resources and Brilliant Future Sub
ness houses A Pluck, cib and ITS Growth.


error or two in il, as for instance the ref
erence to the Putnam House, which is
owned by company, but they are few
and of small Importance. The letter is
as accurate in the main as il is friendly:
The tourists investigating Florida.
after leaving her famous metropolis and
proceeding ''down South" put up the
st. Johns which flows north. or travel
by rail over the Jacksonville, Tampa and
Key West road some fifty miles. Is as
tonished To behold in such near proN-
unity another city fully equipped with
substantial wharyes, elegant and spa
cious hotels, numerous and enterprising
business houses, important industries,
far reaching railroads, "A refined society,
growing commerce, influential press,
and all the elements and acdenda that
make up thrifty and progressive com
munity. This Is beautiful Palatka,
which is the head of deep navigation ON
the river, and one of the most important
and commanding business centers i'm the
State. Indeed there is no other location
in the eastern portion Of the peninsula
that combines SO many advantages as
port of entry and distributing
point for the commerce of Florida. Here
the largest steamer or ship that can cross
the bar of the st. Johns River. may come
directly to the wharves and discharge, or
receive its cargo, 100 miles by water
nearer To the consumers and producers
of the interior, than at jacksonville. A
network of railroads also afford easy
communication with all parts of the
Union, and the fruit and vegetable pro-
ducts of a large area of country are con-
centrated here. and either marketed or
shipped elsewhere. The salubrity of the
climate, too, and the lofty hills i'm the
rear, which afford delightful retreats Ia
many from the summer heats, offer
additional attractions TO those seek
ing home in Florida. Ono great
drawback. however, To the pros
perity of the town is the lack of
WHOLESALE BUSINESS HOUSES.
But with the extraordinary facilities
offered through the several railroads
reaching out in every direction through
the peninsula, for the reception and
handling of commodities Of every kind.
this want cannot exist much longer. Sew
eral large hardware establishments and
spacious warehouses are already in posi-
ton, and the number in other lines of
business will doubtless soon be increased.
As an evidence of the growing traffic
over the Florida Southern Railroad. il
may be mentioned that 10000 boxes Of
oranges were received here by the main
line during the past season, while the
Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Road
affords complete outlet to the North,
and the St. Augustine and Palatka Rail
way, completed within a year, brings
the historic city of the Atlantic coast
within fifty minutes ride of Palatka.
Another railway, the st. Johns and
Halifax, only recently opened, has al
ready developed the picturesque town of
Daytona into a fiourishing city, and will
make tributary TO this place a large por-
tion of the Indian River trade. Still,
there seems To be no limit to the push
and enterprise of this growing city, for.
we find that "A company has been organ
lied to construct road from Palatka To
Tallahassee, under the auspices of lead
ing and reliable capitalists, and Ia COM
plete the Gordon and highways, still an
other is in contemplation, with every AS
surance of success. The latter. il is said,
will he built by the Florida Southern
Railway Company, i'm direct line 10
Barlow and at "A saving of forty-five
miles to its gulf connections. 1t is pro-
posed to start the new road from Palstka
and go south along the st. Johns River
for thirty miles TO Salt Springs, thence to
a point on the st. Johns and Eustis divi-
sion "a branch Of the Florida Southern),
thence by that road to Tavares, and then
direct To Barlow. This route is almost an
air line and passes through one of the
best fruit and agricultural districts in
Florida. IL is believed that the Florida
Southern will decide to build the pro-
posed road on the eastern shore of the
St. Johns. as the more popular and eligi-
BILE side of the river. In that event the
bridge across the river would probably
be placed at Mt. Royal, and the construc-
ton thence he continued on the western
bank. But whatever the precise route
may be, the building of the road seems
to he a fixed fact. IL is asserted that
Mr.. w. i. Couper, the veteran engineer
of the Florida Southern, with full
corps of assistants, will begin the survey
Immediately.
The new road will probably bear the
name Of the FLORIDA Construction Conn
pany," while practically the property
s.all the same" of the Florida Southern"
THE CLYDE STEAMSHIP LINE.
But the biggest bonanza i'm sight for
Palatka is the well authenticated report
that the service of that line will be ex-
tended thither early in the ensuing fall.
The Board of Trade has been making
strenuous efforts to achieve this result,
and only recently Its President has
visited New Yofk and held conference
with the Clyde managers ON the subject.
Every business house i'm Palatka entered
into a written agreement to give their
entire New York freights to this line of
steamers if they would come to their
city. And while in the absence of
positive ycontract i'm the premises, they
have efery assurance that it will be
done, and are jubilant over the prospect.
Ii is announced that all the shippers
south of Palatka will follow suit, and
send their products over this line, which
would tax its carrying capacity 10 the
utmost. OF coirse the Florida Southern
is greatly interested in this movement,
as il must have a Northern outlet for its
business and since the taking off of the
Charleston line has been looking around
for some such arrangement. Last sea
son much of its freight was sent North
by the circuitous route of Gainesville,
but the ''Clyde Line" will supersede any
such roundabout operations.
A GREAT PROJECT.
Ii is in contemplation to bridge the St.
Johns River at Palatka and erect in that
city a union depot for the aecommoda-
ton of all the roads diverging from that
point. The proposition meets with uni
versal favor, not only from the railroads,
but the people generally. When this
great scheme will be mn fat acc0Hph
cannot just now be stated, but the time
is not far distant. The precise location
is still a matter Of controversy, but
doubtless some compromise that VIII
reconcile conflicting interests will be
adopted. Ii is proposed to model the
bridge after one of the grand iron struc-
lures in Chicago, with railway track and
sidewalks for foot passengers.
PLUcKY CITY.
Only two years ago every business
house in Palatka was swept away by a
confiagration. Yet to-day il is city of
magnificent brick blocks and residences,
many of which are elegant and impos-
ing structures. The town boasts hotel